(MENAFN) Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing mounting criticism after sharing a provocative social media image that reimagines a beloved children's character as a military operative attacking suspected narcotics smugglers. The controversy intensifies as President Donald Trump's administration confronts growing questions about deadly operations targeting alleged drug-running boats across Caribbean and Pacific waters.

Hegseth shared the contentious post on X, depicting a weaponized version of Franklin the Turtle—dressed in combat fatigues, positioned inside a helicopter, wielding a rocket launcher aimed at vessels carrying armed individuals and contraband. The mock book cover bore the text "Franklin targets narco terrorists," with Hegseth recommending followers include the fictional title on their holiday shopping lists.

Reactions split sharply between those applauding aggressive cartel enforcement and critics condemning the post's tone.

Kids Can Press, the Canadian publisher behind the original Franklin series, issued a forceful rebuke. The company emphasized that Franklin represents "kindness, empathy, and inclusivity," adding it "strongly condemn[s] any denigrating, violent, or unauthorized use of Franklin's name or image."

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell fired back at the publisher's statement, declaring, "we doubt Franklin the turtle wants to be inclusive of drug cartels… or laud the kindness and empathy of narco-terrorists."

Congressional Democrats have also weighed in. Representative Adam Smith questioned whether the secretary "doesn't understand the seriousness and the importance of the job that he has."

The meme incident coincides with serious allegations against Hegseth following a Washington Post report last week claiming he verbally commanded U.S. military personnel to "kill everybody" aboard a suspected trafficking vessel in Caribbean waters during early September operations.

Hegseth has categorically rejected these claims, labeling the Washington Post's coverage "fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory." He maintained that all individuals targeted in U.S. operations maintained connections to officially designated terrorist organizations.

The Trump administration continues defending its aggressive interdiction strategy as legitimate self-defense, arguing that illegal narcotics aboard intercepted vessels were destined for American territory.

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